Tree Death Mystery

[KARL]

Can anyone suggest why cherry trees that are in excess of 30 years old should start to die slowly, or where I could look for informed advice ? Death appears to move from the upper part of the trunk and out the branches as well as downward. The first sign is a dying off of greenery nearest the upper trunk and over the next 3-4 years or so the nakedness steadily moves further out the branches until the whole/all of the branches are dead. Meanwhile, early on, a new branch or two are formed in the lower half of the trunk which however succumb after 3-4 years of apparently healthy growth.

[atalanta]

Look very carefully - is there any sign of stickiness on twigs or leaves ? Do the trees flower at all ? Are there any tiny pink blobs on the trunk or at the bases of branches? Any broken bark with insects underneath ? Have the roots risen above ground and become damaged ( Cherry trees seem to like their roots to rise above ground level, and if the roots are then damaged by mowing round the trunks, the tree can be badly or even fatally harmed through root-injury. )

[ladybirder]

Gosh 10c, that would be devastating. A country with no trees!!

KARL could it be Silver Leaf?
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=245

[ladybirder]

The minute I posted I realised the 'native' bit. Sorry. Still dreadful though.

[woofgang]

Anything helpful here?
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=809

[Chipchopper]

Bacterial canker is a possibility that may be worth looking into.
Any chance of a photo ?
Is there any abnormal swelling to the bark or weeping sap/gum ?

[melv16]

I lost a mature cherry tree some years ago to honey fungus. I had to dig all the roots out and burn them along with the twigs and branches:(

[Chipchopper]

10ClarionSt, Where did you read that about 'Ash Dieback' (Hymenoscyphus fraxinus) ?
I think its wrong, only ash trees are affected, not cherry or other species.

[hammerman]

Karl, Cherries are a member of the Rose family along with other garden favourites such as Pyrecantha and Cottoneaster. They have a notoriously short lifespan for a tree....50 years old is considdered very old.

We had a large group of around 50 ornamental cherries in our park which were planted by some Russian ambassador in 1975. They've gradually been whittled away and now there's about 10 left.

[KARL]

As a last gasp the ends of the branches blossom in the spring and no leaves follow - the upper part of the tree is dead at this point, but the new branch(es) lower down live(s) on for another year or two at most. My interpretation is that the roots are the last to die.

Once a thick part of the tree is dead, the bark starts to crack and peel off (no surprise) but until then I have in no case seen evidence of any damage - one tree currently in the early stages in fact has rather good looking bark (better than most) that reminds of birch bark of the best kind, just darker in colour - so bacterial infection may perhaps be ruled out. I really don't think there is any particular reason to think any roots have been damaged.

And then, fungus infection may well be the case but I have no way of establishing this - is there a simple and not too expensive way to get this and/or other possibilities investigated ?

The "old age death" explanation is interesting and if correct might be the real cause.

[Chipchopper]

I agree, its a relatively old tree for the species and its highly likely to be in decline.
It always amazes me, just how pernicious trees can be and will often sprout new growth from seemingly dead wood, stumps, stems, roots etc.

For safety reasons alone, it may be worth getting a professional arborist to survey the tree for you.